Those Left Behind
by kc0114
Summary: What happens when a job goes wrong and the boys are left to take care of a little girl? Daddy!Dean rated T for cursing...
1. A job gone wrong

**A/N: I don't own Supernatural. Please let me know if you like it! There's plenty more where this came from.**

Outside of the windows of his '67 Impala, the night raced onwards. Dean eased back into his seat, Sammy taking the wheel this time. From what they gathered, this looked to be a run-of-the-mill case, a regular poltergeist. He and Sam would bust in, do the old "salt and burn", and get out of town. Dean didn't like to spend too long in one place; it made him feel claustrophobic, as if he were trapped with no escape.

The MO was the same with all of the victims, bodies mutilated, the house set on fire. Another similarity between the vics was a necklace. Each time another family smoked it, the necklace went to auction and eventually went to another doomed house. Last they heard, the necklace was still at the auction house but Sammy was calling them now to make sure it hadn't gone home with anyone.

"Yes, I'd like to inquire about that necklace," Sam spoke calmly.

At first silence, until finally a quiet chattering picked up on the other end.

Sam's face fell, "Yes, I understand. Can you give me their address? I'd like to see it one last time." Sam fumbled around for a pen and paper, quickly scrawling the address in rushed script.

"Thank you." He hung up.

"They sell the necklace?" Dean questioned.

"Yeah," Sam grunted in reply.

"Son of a bitch."

Twenty minutes later the tires screeched as Sam took the sharp turn leading to the house in question.

"Hey watch it! You break my baby, I break your face," Dean shouted.

Sam merely rolled his eyes and continued driving.

All joking stopped as they pulled up to the simple two-story. All of the lights were off but a large commotion could be heard on the first floor. Hearing this, the boys sprang silently into action, gathering salt, iron rods, and their favorite guns loaded with special salt rounds.

Two strangled cries sent the hunters bursting through the front door. Moving through the house, Dean checked every room for signs of violence.

Sam discovered the bodies in the kitchen, his face clothed in the disappointment of yet another failed rescue mission. Sam always liked to wear his heart on his sleeve.

Dean quickly went to the source of the trouble, the necklace that was tightly clutched in the woman's hand. Flicking open his lighter, he set to the task of ending this mess.

The poltergeist wasn't going to give up that easily, though. With the last of its strength, it sent a raging fire throughout the house. Sam was pulling Dean though the smoke and flames, when Dean heard it. A small cry emanated from somewhere on the second floor. Sam rushed forward but Dean stopped in his tracks. Without another thought, he turned and sprinted up the stairs, taking them two at a time. With the fury of a wild animal, he burst into every room, knowing that time was of the essence.

Where the fuck was this kid? Dean thought until finally he picked the right room. His sharp eyes quickly took in the scene. A small white crib was placed in the middle of a room covered in pink. Inside the crib a baby cried, it's little hands grasping for someone, anyone to help. Dean leaned over the crib, scooping the whimpering infant into his arms. He had never before held something so tiny and so alive in his arms.

Dean's moment of awe was interrupted when he heard a crash from down the hallway. He went to leave but was immediately confronted with flames as the entire hallway was engulfed.

How the fuck am I supposed to get out now? Dean marveled at just how terrible his luck could get. Working quickly, Dean tied the sheets into a sort of sling he could use to lower the baby down to Sam. Once finished, he opened the window to its fullest, kicked out the screen and leaned out into the night.

Sam had reached the car before he realized that Dean was no longer by his side. He wanted to kick himself for leaving Dean in the crumbling house. But then again, Dean was an adult and his older brother; surely he could take care of himself. So why the hell was he still in the house?

Sam's eyes scanned the house for any trace of his older brother when, at last, he caught sight of Dean leaning widely out of a second story window.

"What the hell are you doing?" Sam screamed.

"The couple had a baby. I need you to take her when I lower her down."

So that's what held him. A baby. Go figure, Dean always had a soft spot for the helpless.

The makeshift sling swayed slightly in the breeze as Dean slowly lowered the squirming bundle out of the window.

As soon as the child was securely in Sam's arms, Dean was faced with a new problem.

How the hell am I supposed to get out? Dean looked around but could find no other option, he'd have to jump. Luckily he'd jumped out of enough windows to know how to land without killing himself but he'd be lucky to get away with a sprained ankle. Oh well, he'd had worse.

Outside the room, the fire raged. He'd have to go now before the fire could spread to his location.

He climbed onto the windowsill and leapt lightly out of the burning house. He had aimed for the bushes that surrounded the house but, as luck would have it, he overshot. Roughly, he tumbled to the ground, blinding pain flaring in his leg.

Well shit, broken leg, what's next? Dean muttered.

Blinking and pushing the pain to the back of his head, Dean shoved himself to his feet, nearly passing out as he put weight on his injured leg. Slowly, Dean made his way to the Impala, where Sam was cradling the baby in his arms.

"You okay?" Sam asked, concerned.

"What the fuck do you think?"

Dean knew his words were harsh but he was in too much pain to care. Sam, picking up on the strain in his voice, looked down at Dean's leg, which, at this point, was hanging at an extremely unnatural angle.

Shock passed over Sam's face, "Dean we're gonna have to go to the hospital."

"Absolutely not. It's a clean break, I can feel it. We can set it at the motel."

Sam opened the car door and slid into the driver's seat. There was no way Dean could drive with his leg in that condition. Gently, Sam placed the infant, still squirming, into Dean's arms. Dean looked down at her, a look of confusion on his face, like he was studying some ancient and particularly complex lore.

"So what do we do now? Do we just hand her over to the police?" Dean asked.

"No way man. The cops find out that we were there when her parents were killed, we'll end up in prison for sure," Sam reasoned.

"We can't just keep her. And we don't really have anyone we can leave her with."

"Look they have a drop off thing at hospitals, where you can leave your kid. We'll get out of the area and find a good place to leave her."

Dean was incredulous, "That's sick. Who the hell would leave their kid to some stranger at a hospital."

"Well do you have any better ideas?"

"No," Dean mumbled, "but there's gotta be something better."

"Dean you said it yourself, all of our friends are either dead, or batshit crazy. We don't have any other options."

Defeated, Dean once again took to staring at the tiny baby in his arms.


	2. First Aid

**A/N: Thanks to those of you who favorited and followed my first chapter, I hope I live up to your expectations. Also reviews are kindly appreciated! I don't own Supernatural... yet.**

By the time they reached the motel, the baby was fast asleep and Dean was gritting his teeth, his whole body tense.

Sam reached over and gently lifted the sleeping infant from Dean's arms. Walking smoothly to avoid waking her, Sam made his way into the hotel room, Dean shuffling behind.

Sam laid the baby onto one of the beds, making sure not to jostle her. Behind him, Dean flopped onto the other bed, gasping when the movement caused the pain in his leg to flare sickeningly.

Once he had caught his breath, Dean looked over at the child on the opposite bed, "You gotta take the pillows and put them around her so that she doesn't roll off."

Sam wasn't sure he was right but hey, it couldn't hurt. After finishing with that, Sam began to gather supplies for setting Dean's leg.

"Don't use that, go to the trunk and rip some of the wood off of the crate in there." Dean snipped.

Sam obeyed and when he returned, Dean had laid himself out on the bed and removed his belt. Looking at his leg in the light of the cheap motel lamps, Dean's injury took on a whole new significance. The bone had not yet punctured the skin but was definitely on its way. The flesh surrounding the break was varying shades of purple and blue.

"Dean have you taken anything yet?" Sam questioned.

"Two vicodin I snatched from that one lady's house," Dean grunted.

Dean already looked out of it. He may have had a high tolerance for alcohol but when it came to drugs, a few tylenol pm could take him out for hours.

Sam moved Dean's pants leg further out of the way, "Dean? You with me?"

"Mmmm," was all Sam heard in reply.

"Alright, I'm gonna set your leg on three."

Sam felt Dean's leg until he could identify the two separate parts of his bone.

"One, two..." on two Sam quickly shifted Dean's bones until the two fractured ends met.

"Son of a bitch!"

Dean's scream could be heard for miles. Luckily they were on the outskirts of town in a practically empty motel. They did have one problem to deal with, though.

A high keening wail picked up from the other bed. That, mixed with the stream of curse words spilling out of Dean's mouth, made Sam's head hurt worse than when Lucifer was hosting dance parties.

Sam quickly finished the splint, strapping the strip of wood to Dean's leg with both of their belts and then went to pick up the mewling infant. Sam began to rock the baby, desperately trying to calm her despondent cries, "Damn it, Dean, you woke her up."

Dean just stared at Sam, "Oh I'm sorry. I was just having my bones put back together."

He had a point.

This went on for another twenty minutes until Sam felt like ripping his hair out. Finally Dean settled down and watched Sam.

"No, no, you're doing it all wrong. Let me see her," Dean insisted.

"What makes you think that you're gonna do any better?" Sam challenged.

"Umm, maybe because I was the only one who could make you stop crying when you were a baby."

"That was decades ago," Sam reasoned.

Dean shook his head, "'S like riding a bike."

Reluctantly, Sam passed the baby over to Dean's expectant arms. Carefully, Dean began to rock her back and forth while lightly bouncing her and making soft, calming noises. Like magic, the infant stopped crying and sat, her gaze transfixed on Dean's wide, honest eyes. Dean returned her gaze with matched intensity. Her eyes were blue with small flecks of green, like leaves in a crystal clear pool. In all of the girls that Dean had been with, he had never before seen eyes that beautiful.

Sam shifted his weight, obviously feeling intrusive, "Hey, if we plan of taking care of her for any amount of time we're gonna need some supplies."

"That's fine. There's a store just a couple miles up the road where we can get what she needs," Dean replied placidly.

"Umm," Sam faltered, "what exactly does she need?"

Dean sighed and began to list various items, which Sam took note of the concentration of an eager student. Once the list had been completed, Sam got up to leave.

"Dude. You're not gonna leave me here alone with her?" Dean asked, a slightly terrified look in his eye.

"I'm just gonna be gone for a few minutes, besides, I thought you were the resident expert," Sam teased.

"But I can't move," Dean said, gesturing to his splinted leg, " What if she needs something?"

Sam walked over to the bedside table and moved the phone closer to Dean, "Then you call me and I'll get back as fast as I can."

Dean was still uncomfortable with the situation but they needed supplies and right now he was immobile. So Sam left and by the time he returned, he walked in to find both Dean and the baby fast asleep.


	3. What's in a Name

**A/N: Sorry about the long wait, I was on a college visit all weekend and didn't have access to my computer. Hope you like it! Review are anticipated and appreciated.**

**I don't own Supernatural... unfortunately.**

"No. We are not naming her Gilby!" Sam shouted.

"But Gilby was awesome," Dean whined, "Besides, it's better than Katherine."

"What is wrong with Katherine," Sam asked in disbelief.

"What's wrong is that it's boring. She needs to have a really kick ass name."

"Fine. We won't name her Katherine but she's not gonna be named Gilby either," Sam conceded.

Both boys became pensive, wracking their brains for suitable names. Dean looked at the newly purchased playpen for a long time, "We could name her Jo."

Sam thought about this. It was rather appropriate. When Dean looked at her he wondered how he had ever thought that Gilby was a good name for her. Little Jo was beautiful with tiny, blonde ringlets covering her head; she was spunky, just this morning she threw a spoon at Sam; and she was a perfect reflection of her late counterpart.

"Yeah, Jo is perfect," Sam said, a touch of sadness tainting his voice.

Before the boys could spend too long dwelling on the thoughts of their departed friend, Jo giggled and tossed the wooden spoon they had given her out of the playpen. Sam walked over to pick it up and turned to Dean, "I've got to go on another supply run. You sure you're okay here?"

Dean rolled his eyes, "If I was gonna kill her, I would've done it already."

Sam shrugged on his jacket and grabbed the grocery list, "Alright, but Dean, under no circumstances are you to be using that leg. I know you're itching to get out of here but we can't do that so long as you're a gimp. So promise me you'll keep off of it."

Sam looked sternly at Dean.

"Yeah, yeah," Dean muttered.

"Alright, I'll be back in about an hour."

The door shut and Dean could hear the lock turn.

_Good riddance._ "I guess it's just you and me, huh, Jo," Dean called.

Dean tried several things to occupy his mind. First, he pulled up his favorite porn site, , but he couldn't look at porn with a baby in the room. So then he tried watching television. Flipping through all of the channels, he stopped on a soap opera, "Days of our Lives." It was okay, but the Eric Brady guy seemed like a real douche-bag. Out of options, Dean looked over to the playpen in the corner of the room where Jo was contentedly gumming her wooden spoon. Without thinking, Dean swung his legs out of the bed and stood, wincing when the reality of his injury hit him once again. He thought about what Sam had told him. _Screw Sam_, Dean thought, _I'll do what I want._ With great effort, Dean gobbled over to Jo's playpen and took her into his arms. Jo, confused by the turn of events, simply smacked Dean in the face with the spoon.

_Yep. Jo was definitely a fitting name_; Dean remembered the first Jo's knack for beating him upside the head. Heck, the first time they met, she had held a gun to his back. The longer Dean stood there reminiscing, however, the more his leg began to throb as all of his blood rushed to his wound.

Quickly, Dean made his way back to the bed and laid Jo on her stomach beside him, making sure to place the pillows around her so as to make it impossible for her to roll off. After making himself comfortable, he turned to the bedside table and switched on the clock radio, fiddling with the dials until he found a classic rock station. He figured that if little Jo was going to be with them for any amount of time, he might as well start molding her music taste now. Jo appeared to enjoy the music selection, alternating between flailing the spoon through the air and sticking it in her mouth.

Dean wondered what his dad would say if he saw him here with a baby. First he'd probably berate Dean for getting himself injured. Then, once confirming that the kid wasn't Dean's, he would be offering to take her to one of those hospital drop off things himself.

That's what he and Sam were gonna do wasn't it? They were gonna leave her at some random hospital for the state to take care of. The thought made Dean uneasy. He didn't like to talk about it but there was a time when he had been in foster care. His dad had been away for two weeks and his teachers had started asking questions. Before he could blow town, CPS was busting in the door and taking him and his younger brother. Sam was too young to remember. As much as life as a hunter had sucked, being a ward of the state was ten times worse.

Dean looked at the innocent little girl that lay beside him. _I can't do that to her, all of the light in her eyes would be extinguished within the hour that we left her._ That was when Dean resolved that no matter what, that child was not going to the state.


	4. The Decision

**A/N: I'm a pushover. I was gonna make you guys sweat out waiting for another chapter but I felt bad for not posting any over the weekend so here's the next chapter! Also, thanks so much for all of the reviews, the encouragement is really uplifting. You guys are great.**

**Supernatural is not yet within my sticky fingers...**

The tension was almost tangible in the car as the Impala raced down the highway. Dean had finally healed enough that they could travel. He still had a limp, though, and it was with this limp that he trudged out to the car earlier that morning, recently purchased car seat in hand.

"Sam, I'm not sure we're doing the right thing," Dean said hesitantly.

Sam finished loading their bags in the trunk and looked at Dean, "Dean you know we have to do this. Our lives are too dangerous to bring a kid into, besides, where are we gonna get the resources to raise a child?"

"We'll figure it out," Dean huffed, "I'll hustle pool or cards; we can run a few more credit card scams. We just can't let her go into the foster care system. They'll break her and she'll grow up to be just an empty shell," Dean pleaded.

"How are you so sure?" Sam asked skeptically.

"Because I saw it happen," Dean admitted, "When we were younger, the CPS picked us up and we were in foster care for about two months. You were only two and were immediately taken into by a caring family. I wasn't so lucky. I was forced to live in a boy's home where you were either bullying, or being bullied, and everyone's eyes were dead. Those kids had all lost hope and I don't want that for Jo."

"You're talking like you're her father. She's not your responsibility," Sam replied, his voice rising to a shout.

"Yeah, her father's dead. Somebody's got to take his place. So as long as I'm still breathing, we are not leaving her at a hospital," Dean roared.

Sam turned on his heel and stomped to the passenger side of the car, fuming.

_What was Dean thinking? He was in no way mature enough to be responsible for a child long term._

Dean climbed into the driver's seat and immediately zoomed out of the parking lot. There were several minutes of tense, unbroken silence until Dean finally spoke, "You were too young to remember but there are days when I still see their faces."

Sam stared at his lap, "I didn't realize that this was that important to you. We'll keep her for now but we have to keep looking for other options."

Dean nodded, he could agree to that. Looking in the rearview mirror he could see that Jo had removed her shoes and socks, again. Jo was definitely putting him through the wringer. Dean wasn't sure he'd gotten his usual four hours of sleep once since she'd come into their lives.

Sam was still mad at Dean but somewhere deep inside of himself, he felt relieved. He didn't want to be rid of their little surprise just yet. When Sam looked at Jo, he saw the future that he'd envisioned with Jess all of those years ago. The memories stung, but Sam had long ago learned to live with the burden of so many lives on his back. Instead of lingering on the painful memories of her death, he chose to remember better times. Like the time they laid out in the quad all night, looking at the stars. It was then that they first talked about their future together. About getting married, having kids, and living an "apple pie life," or so Dean liked to call it.

As the miles passed beneath the tires of the ever familiar '67 Chevy Impala, the boys came to two conclusions.

Jo was the best thing to happen to them in a long time and their lives would never be the same.


	5. Titles

**A/N: Thank you guys so much for all of the feedback and support! If you don't count my Gregory Pond story (which I don't), this is my first fanfic. I am ecstatic at all of the attention it's getting. I know this chapter is a little short but it's what I got and there'll be longer chapters in the future.**

**I don't own Supernatural, that wonderful right belongs to Kripke.**

To little Jo, Dean was daddy. This started when she was saying her first words. Dean held her in his arms, "Dean, my name is Dean. Can you say that?"

Jo merely stared up at him.

"Isn't she supposed to be talking by now? What if something's wrong with her," Dean panicked.

Sam looked up from his laptop, "Just give it some more time. She'll talk."

Sam returned to his research and Dean looked back to the baby girl in his arms, a nagging sense of doubt plaguing his mind. Dean lingered on these thoughts when suddenly, a small voice spoke from his lap, "Da da da da da," she repeated.

Shocked out of his reverie, Dean looked with amazement at Jo, "Words. Sam she's saying words."

Sam rushed over and for hours they watched her, as she formed the words, 'da da' over and over.

Dean felt a mix of conflicting emotions. Relief, because there was nothing wrong with her, she could speak. Wonder, like he always felt when Jo did something new. He also felt fear as the realizations hit him once again like a pile of bricks. He had taken responsibility for another life. How she turned out depended on him. As he thought about this, the terror welled up inside of him until he felt like he was going to burst. He resolved again, like he did every day, that he wasn't going to be like his father, Jo was going to get the childhood she deserved.

"I guess that means you're dad, then. I'll be Uncle Sam," Sam laughed, picturing himself as the traditional 'Uncle Sam' with red, white, and blue clothing and a white beard.

Dean looked at Sam, "I can't do that, you deserve that title as much as I do."

"Hey, I didn't name you, she did. Besides, you were the one to convince me that she should stay," Sam said.

When Sam put it that way, it made so much sense, "Alright, I'll be dad. I wouldn't want her to call us both dads, think of what the neighbors would think."

The two boys laughed and went back to watching Jo as she began to giggle hysterically.


	6. Nightmares

**A/N: Hey guys, sorry this is such a short chapter, there are longer ones coming in the future. This one was actually inspired by one of my doodles that I did before I even began writing this story. Also baby Ackles is a girl! How cute is that! Hope you enjoy!**

**I don't own Supernatural...**

The stillness of the night was interrupted with the quiet padding of tiny feet as Jo, now three years old, ran across the motel room. With chubby fingers she grabbed at the bed sheets, scrambling into the bed that held the sleeping form of Dean. Dean was the one she usually went to when she was feeling sad or scared.

Through the years of late night hunts and even later attacks, Dean had become an incredibly light sleeper. So it was no surprise that he jolted awake the second he felt the whisper of silent sobs brush upon his neck.

Dean's first instinct was to take the gun from underneath his bed and shoot first, ask questions later. Before that could happen, a tiny hand touched his face and any thought of drawing his gun left his mind.

"What's wrong?" Dean asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

Quietly Jo curled up against Dean's side and whispered, "Daddy, I had a nightmare. I'm scared."

Dean sighed, he knew a thing or two about nightmares. When he was just a little older that her, he had complained of nightmares and his dad had responded by handing him a loaded shotgun and a flask filled with holy water.

Dean lifted her chin and met her eyes, "You don't ever have to be afraid of monsters. Do you remember what your Uncle Sam and I used to do?"

Dean had often told her stories of some of the more tame hunts that he and Sam had gone on. What she didn't know was that they still went on hunts, except now they went alone so that someone could stay with Jo.

Timidly, Jo replied, "You killed bad monsters?"

Dean lifted Jo and embraced her tightly, "That's right. So long as you're here with me, you are safe because I will never let anything happen to you. You are safe in my arms. Always."

For a whole the pair sat, curled up in each other's arms until Jo lifted her head and looked at Dean with tearstained eyes, "I love you, Daddy."

Dean looked down at her for a long time. _How did this happen? How did I end up completely at the mercy of this little girl? I don't love her. I would die for her._

"I love you too," Dean whispered, rubbing the long, blonde curls that blanketed her head.

Sam blinked as the sun streamed in the window of another cheap motel. Yawning, he stretched and took in his surroundings, first checking the cot in the corner. To Sam's dismay, it was empty. Panic began to rise as Sam frantically searched the rest of the room with his eyes. He let out a sigh of relief when his eyes found Dean and Jo fast asleep on the other bed. Jo was curled up in a tight ball and Dean had his arms draped protectively around her.


	7. Queen for a Day

**A/N: This one's makes some subtle references to 8x11 (LARP and the Real Girl), but even if you haven't seen it, you should be okay. I hope you enjoy! Thanks for all of the feedback!**

**No tengo Supernatural...**

Dean would never admit it, but he secretly loved LARPing. The outfits, the staged fighting, the cool way you had to talk, Dean couldn't get enough of it. So when Charlie called them up and invited them to visit Moondoor, Dean jumped at the opportunity. Sure, he pretended to drag his feet but Dean couldn't wait to get back.

Charlie welcomed the boys with open arms, eyes widening a bit when she caught sight of the little girl clinging to Dean's side. Without missing a beat, she crouched down until she was on the same level as Jo, "How would you like to be my handmaiden for the day?"

Jo looked timidly at Charlie's crown and regal attire, "Are you a queen?"

"Yes I am. So what do you say, do you want to be my handmaiden? Your…" Charlie looked up at Dean, searching for the correct term.

"Dad," Dean stated simply.

"Your dad was my handmaiden once," Charlie smiled and led little Jo by the hand over to her tent, returning when she was sure Jo was okay.

Charlie jutted out her hip and smiled slyly at Dean, "So, your wild lifestyle finally catch up to you?"

Dean looked around. Not a single person was within earshot, even Sam had gone off to procure his outfit.

"We were working a job. Her parents died and she was left with no one," Dean explained hurriedly.

Charlie was shocked into silence. Never before had she heard of someone doing something so selfless. She was almost attracted to Dean. Almost.

A day of jousting and sword fights followed and at the end of the day there was a grand ball. At the head of the festivities was Charlie, flanked by Jo and two other women. Despite the obvious enjoyment Jo was having, a look of disappointment clouded her delicate features.

Dean leaned down and whispered in her ear, "What's the matter?"

Jo rose up on her tiptoes and cupped her hands around his ear, "I wanna be a queen like Charlie but I'm only a handmaiden." Jo stared at her feet, "I'm not good enough to be a queen."

"Don't you dare say that," Dean said, a sudden ferocity in his eyes, "You will always be my little princess and don't let anyone tell you differently."

Dean's eyes softened and he tucked a strand of stray hair behind her ear.

Jo seemed consoled and turned back to the party just as a little boy ran up and dragged her onto the dance floor. Jo was gonna be a real heartbreaker, but Dean wasn't sure he was ready to think about that.

As the ball was winding down, Dean grabbed Sam and retold the conversation between him and Jo.

"That's horrible," Sam said, shocked.

"I know but I have a plan," Dean replied, a mischievous glint in his eye.

As the majority of the royal court began to head back to their tents, the boys were quickly unloading their bags into the trunk. Charlie walked up to them, hand in hand with an exhausted Jo, "She was wonderful. I definitely expect you guys to be back and to bring her along."

Dean snapped a quick salute, "Sure thing your _highness_."

Charlie elbowed him and then took each of the boys into a tight hug.

The next morning, Sam and Dean woke up early, making preparations. When, at last, they finished, Sam pressed play on his IPod and the booming sound of a trumpet fanfare echoed around the room. Dean whipped out of the small kitchen carrying a tray that held a stack of pancakes, orange juice, and a single pink rose, "Good morning your majesty." Dean placed the tray in front of the still groggy Jo and went into a deep bow.

Jo rubbed at her eyes and looked at her caretakers, "Daddy? Uncle Sam? What are you doing?"

"Why, Queen Jo, we are merely your humble servants," Sam stated, his eyes wide.

Realization began to dawn on her face and a huge grin replaced her former yawn. The boys had stolen a crown, scepter, and a gown from last night's festivities. It was these things that Jo proudly wore as they went about a day of tea parties, ice cream runs and even some horseback riding. At the end of the day they collapsed into the hotel room, utterly spent. Before Jo could fall asleep, however, she grabbed Dean's hands and maneuvered him until he was kneeling in front of her.

"What's up baby?" Dean asked.

"It's time for me to name the knight that will serve in my army," Jo declared grandly.

Dean raised his eyebrows and looked over at Sam who shrugged. When Dean turned back to Jo, she had pulled out her scepter and tapped it once on each of Dean's shoulders, "I, Queen Jo, knight you sir Daddy of Impala."

Once she had finished brandishing her scepter, Dean pulled Jo into a tight, bear hug and motioned for Sam to join.


	8. First Impressions

**A/N: Hey there was some confusion as to Jo's age in the last chapter, she was supposed to be, like, five there. Like pre-kindergarten five. Sorry about the confusion. I hope you guys enjoy! We've got a little over-protective daddy!Dean going on...**

**I donut own Supernatural...**

Dean had been right. Jo was definitely a heartbreaker. At sixteen she stood at five foot nine and had long blonde hair that reached to her waist. She never noticed but Dean saw the way that boy's eyes slid over her thin frame, a sort of hunger in their eyes. Dean remembered looking at girls the same way. He knew what those boys were thinking and he didn't like it.

Dean knew that someday Jo would meet a guy that she would want him to meet; he just didn't think it'd be so soon. His phone buzzed and he checked it to find a text message from Jo,

_Hey I'm bringing a guy home. Please b nice._

Dean glared at his phone. So it begins…

Jo pulled her hair up into a loose ponytail. She always did this when she was worried or nervous. Her dad could be paranoid and he was especially protective of her. She had been dating Zach for a month now and she decided that it was time for him to meet her old man. That didn't change the fact that she was scared to death of her dad scaring him off.

Tugging at her shirt, Jo nervously led Zach into her house. Most of her childhood had been spent moving from motel to crappy motel, but as soon as she was old enough to go to school, they settled into a house on the outskirts of town.

To her dismay, when they came through the front door, Dean was seated in the living room, surrounded by his entire arsenal of guns, maces, and knives. Zach gasped as he caught sight of the massive amount of weaponry. When Dean heard the two teenagers enter, he set down the rifle he was cleaning, wiping his grease smeared hands onto his jeans.

_Great._ Jo had been expecting something like this to happen. Timidly, she walked over to her dad, gesturing to Zach, "Hey dad, this is…"

"I'm Zach," the young man stepped forward, offering his hand to Dean.

Dean grabbed the boy's hand and shook it roughly. _Man this boy's grip is weak. Don't they teach these things anymore?_ Dean eyed Zach from head to toe. He had dark brown hair that flopped in his eyes and he wore pants so skinny, Dean could see every blood vessel in the boy's pathetic, stick-like legs. Dean grunted and then returned to his weapons. Quickly, he finished with the rifle and began the process of sharpening and polishing his machete.

"Is that a Colt pistol?" Zach asked, pointing to one of the guns.

It was not, in fact, the demon killing Colt that was the spear point of many of he and Sam's earlier adventures but rather just an ordinary, but vintage, gun they had procured on their travels.

"It is. Do you know guns?" Dean questioned.

Zach shuffled his feet, "No sir, I just know Colts. This one's pretty old isn't it?"

"Sure is. Exactly how old, I'm not sure but she fires like a dream," Dean said, and for just a moment his eyes went to that far off place they went whenever he talked about guns or cars.

Snapping out of his trance, Dean heaved himself to his feet and walked towards the kitchen, "Do you kids want anything?"

Jo rolled her eyes and flopped onto the couch, "No dad, we'll be fine."

Carefully, Zach sat on the couch next to her, "Hey where's your uncle? I thought I was meeting the whole family?"

Upon hearing this, Jo's _teenage girl_ façade slipped away and a look of concern masked her face, "No my uncle's out of town on a business trip."

In truth she wasn't actually sure where her uncle was. Her dad and her uncle were always out of town, but never at the same time and when they returned from their trips, they were often covered in cuts and bruises.

"Oh," Zach's face fell. Jo had often told him that Uncle Sam was the most even-tempered of the pair and no doubt he was hoping to meet the more laid back half of the Winchester brothers.

Dean sauntered back into the living room, a beer in hand. His other hand held two sodas which he offered to Zack and Jo, "I know you guys said you didn't want anything but I grabbed some sodas just in case." Dean smiled warmly, instantly making Jo suspicious.

_What was he up to?_ Despite her wariness, Zach and Jo took the drinks gladly. Zach was confused when his bottle opened just a little too easily, as if it had been opened before. He tipped the bottle to his mouth, letting the brown liquid seep down his throat. Dean stared at him has he drank, waiting for a reaction. Zach swallowed and looked up at Dean, "Dude, you coke's watered down."

Dean quickly changed the subject, "So you like guns, but have you ever taken an interest in knives?" Dean walked over to the table and grabbed his sharpest silver blade, "This one's especially rare. Here, feel the blade on her."

Zach stared at Dean for a several moments as he began to wonder if Dean was completely sane. Tentatively, Zach reached forward and touched the blade. Dean waited for the opportune moment and when Zach's fingers were exploring the wicked edge, Dean shifted the knife just slightly, but enough that it caused the knife to nick Zach's finger.

Zach let out a welp and brought his injured finger to his mouth. So he wasn't a shape shifter and he didn't bleed black goo so Dean could rule out leviathan.

Jo was appalled, if she didn't know better, she would have said her dad was running tests on Zach.

Finally the time came for Zach to leave. As he was gathering his jacket, Jo ran up to him and whispered in his ear, "Sorry about my dad. I'll see you tomorrow?"

Zach gave Jo a panicked look and left without saying another word. Dean waved from his seat in the living room with a smug smile on his face, "Bye Zach."

Jo was furious. She spun around and faced her dad, "What the hell was that? Why did you have to act like a complete psychopath?"

Dean looked at her innocently, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Jo threw her arms up and stomped up the stairs. Dean called after her, "I was just trying to keep you safe."

"I can take care of myself," Jo shouted as she slammed her bedroom door.

_Kids these days._ Dean could understand ghosts and demons, but people were still a mystery to him.


	9. We've Been Had!

**A/N: Sorry for not posting anything for a few days, I got a bit distracted by life. Anyways, I just finished writing the story so now all I have to do is upload it. I might do two today...**

**Supernatural is not mine...**

Sam and Dean loaded the trunk of the Impala, anticipation building as the boys prepared for their first group hunt in almost a year. Up until then, they had been taking turns, going solo so that someone could stay with Jo. This weekend, however, was different. Jo was going to spend the entire weekend with a friend. They had three days of activities planned out but the actual schedule didn't matter because it allowed the old Winchester team to get back together. They hadn't chosen anything particularly taxing; Garth had tracked a malevolent spirit in the next state over. It was nice just to climb into the car and fall into the old routine.

Dean finished packing the trunk and slid into the driver's seat, looking at Sam, "You ready?"

Sam grinned widely, "Of course."

As Dean turned the music up to full blast, he caught a slight movement out of the corner of his eye. Further investigation showed no one else in the car, but Dean couldn't shake the nagging sense of dread he felt settle into the pit of his stomach.

A few hours of uninterrupted silence followed. It was a restful silence but Dean was glad when Sam finally cleared his throat to speak. Usually Sam was a chatterbox but it was obvious that he had something on his mind.

"Dean, are we ever gonna tell Jo about what we do? I'm sure she's asking herself some questions by now," Sam asked.

Dean thought about this. Did he really want Jo, his daughter, to be introduced to the nightmarish reality of their lives?

"No. There are days when I wish I didn't know about any of this. I'm not about to inflict that on Jo," Dean reasoned.

This seemed to be the answer that Sam expected. He turned and looked out of his window at the rolling landscape as it flashed outside his window.

Sam and Dean went about their usual routine, interrogating witnesses, breaking into the crime scene, and going over clues in their hotel room. Everything went normally but Dean was strangely on edge. While interrogating witnesses, he could have sworn he saw a familiar reflection in the glass of the questioning room. Dean calmed a bit while breaking into the crime scene until he thought he heard faint footsteps coming from behind him. Dean wasn't usually startled by strange noises but this noise was different enough that it set him on edge.

When they returned to their hotel room to review the facts, Sam had begun to notice Dean's strange behavior, "Dean are you okay?"

Dean stopped searching their room for a moment, "Yeah why?"

"Well I noticed that you seem to be a bit tense," Sam noted.

"I don't know Sam. I keep seeing things out of the corner of my eyes and I keep hearing strange noises. And not ghost noises either. I just can't shake the feeling that we're being followed," Dean explained.

Sam pondered this. Come to think of it, he had seen some weird things this hunt. Like things moving in his periphery, but he chose to ignore it because it didn't make any sense.

Sam's reverie was cut short when a loud sneeze ripped through the silence. Like a wild animal, Dean tore through the room until he found something underneath one of the beds, a place that he had checked at least three times previously. Carefully he dragged out the figure of a girl dressed in jeans and a hoodie.

The girl sniffled and slowly lifted her face to meet Sam and Dean, "Hey Dad, Uncle Sam."

Dean could feel the heat rising up in him and before he knew it he was yelling, "What are you doing here? Do you have any idea how dangerous it is for you to be here right now?"

"No, I don't. How dangerous is it? What could you possibly be doing in such a 'dangerous' place?" Jo spat back.

Dean opened his mouth to say more but Sam put his hand on Dean's shoulder, "I told you she was asking questions. I think maybe the time had come for us to answer them."

The trio all sat around the small table in the corner of the room, different levels of unease settling on each of their faces.

Taking a deep breath, Sam began, "Your dad and I hunt things-"

"Like wild animals?" Jo interrupted.

Dean picked up where Sam had left off, "No. We hunt the stuff of nightmares: ghosts, werewolves, vampires, and things that go bump in the night."

"Yeah, right. You guys are regular Ghostbusters," Jo scoffed.

"You don't have to believe us, but you wanted to know the truth and this is it," Dean stated.

Jo mulled it over. She had thought that maybe she lived in a family of private investigators, but ghost hunters? That was ridiculous. But was it really? Some of the questions she had heard them ask back at the station were fairly odd but with this new information made perfect sense. Questions asking about cold spots and flickering lights now took on a completely different meaning. If she thought way back, she could remember stories her dad had used to tell her about fighting monsters and tricksters and angels. Except that was all they were, stories. But no matter how much she tried to deny it, all of the facts lined up. She lived in a family of ghost hunters. With this revelation there was only one thing she could do, "I want to come with you guys on this hunt. I want to see what you guys do."

Dean was incredulous, "No way. It's way too dangerous. I don't want to have to watch your butt in addition to Sam's."

Jo was about to shout in protest, but Sam silenced her with a look and calmly spoke, "Dean think about it. She's been following us all day, undetected. Don't you think that if she wants to tag along, she's going to whether we want her to or not?"

Dean fumed. Couldn't Sam see the disaster waiting with this plan? As he looked at his little girl, he was reminded once again of her namesake. Both were young and eager to grow up and be treated like an adult. The difference was, Dean knew how the first Jo's story ended and he swore to himself that the girl in front of him would not follow in her footsteps.

"Fine. She can come but she has to stay in the car. She'll see plenty of action from there and at least there she'll be safe," Dean stated with finality.


	10. Curiosity Killed the Cat

**A/N: Hey thanks for all of the support! This has been a great experience and I will definitely be writing more fanfiction in the future. Only one more chapter to go after this one...**

**I do not own Supernatural...**

The Impala pulled up to the abandoned house, Jo pouting from the back. She couldn't believe that her dad was _still_ sheltering her. At least Uncle Sam had convinced him to let her stay in the car. Even that was better than waiting in the motel. So she sat, stewing in the backseat while Sam and Dean grabbed their supplies from the trunk.

Jo took special care to note the things that they gathered. _What did you need to kill a ghost?_ Jo thought as she glimpsed the boys gathering shotguns and special white-colored shells. Just as she thought they were finished she spied Sam slipping a bottle of lighter fluid into their bag. _That was unusual._ Now Jo was incredibly curious; there was no way she could just sit in the car while her dad and uncle got to gank a ghost.

As the boys entered the house, Jo quietly slid out of the open window, not wanting to deal with the noise associated with opening a car door. Without a sound she crept towards the decrepit building, fear and anticipation mingling in her heart. She entered the side door in an effort to avoid her caretakers. Picking locks was one of the strange skills she picked up from her dad, so Jo was able to easily unlock the door, using the bobby pins from her hair. She opened the door to find that she was in the kitchen of the ancient establishment. Carefully she made her way across the cracked tile and misplaced pots and pans until she reached the door.

_Wow, this place is a dump._ Jo thought as the door opened to reveal a long, dingy hallway. She crept along, past creepy portraits with eyes that seemed to follow her. Coming up to the door at the end of the hallway, she could hear voices and movement in the other room.

"Sam, you can stop talking now if you're saying what I think you're saying. She cannot hunt with us."

"Come on, she's eighteen. She can make her own decisions."

_Shit._ The voices were getting closer to the hallway. Quickly and without thought, she ducked into one of the rooms jutting off of the long corridor.

Immediately the smell of rotting flesh assaulted her nose and she had to cover her face with her sleeve to avoid gagging violently. As soon as her eyes adjusted to the gloom, she took a look at her surroundings. The room appeared to be normal, if not dirty, until her gaze fell upon the far corner of the room. Suddenly the source of the horrible stench became clear because in that corner of the room laid a grotesquely rotten corpse, hardly identifiable except for the clothing constricting the bloated body. At this sight she nearly fled the room but stopped herself when she heard another door open.

Through the crack in the door, Jo could see both Sam and Dean enter the hallway. Doing a sweep with their EMFs, they slowly made their way up the corridor. The boys had made it about halfway up the passage when suddenly, their EMFs began to wail and before any precautions could be made, a violent wind blew up the hallway. When the wing reached Sam and Dean, hands materialized, attacking them and leaving them knocked out cold.

"Dad," Jo screamed.

Without hesitation she left her hiding spot, running to her guardian's sides. Tears blinded her eyes but she wasn't stupid. Jo quickly took up her father's rifle and checked to see if it was loaded. It was.

Her dad had taken her to the shooting range before, making her practice on a wide variety of guns and targets, but this was different, this time she was scared.

Despite her fear, she was prepared when the ghost made its second attack. Before it could get within five feet, Jo had fired the shotgun, its salt round connecting with the ghost in seconds. The ghost disappeared and the sound of the shotgun blast ripped through the silence.

The noise seemed to be enough to shake Sam from his unconsciousness. Dazed, Sam looked around for the source of the explosion, his eyes resting on Jo.

"I thought you were staying in the car," Sam mumbled.

Jo huffed, exasperated, "No time for that now. How do you kill a ghost?"

Sam stared at her for a moment, trying to get his eyes to focus, "You have to um… salt and burn the corpse of the ghost. There's salt and lighter fluid in my bag."

Hearing this, Jo ran over to the duffle bag lying a few feet away and began rummaging for the things she needed.

"How did you get rid of the ghost?" Sam asked

"I shot it," Jo replied matter-of-factly.

Sam thought about this. _Jo really is tougher than Dean gives her credit for._

Once Jo had the items she needed, she set out for her earlier hiding place. She knew the body she had to burn; she had been hiding right beside it. In her hands she carried a container of salt, a bottle of lighter fluid, and a lighter she had nicked off of her dad. Tucked into her jeans pocket was a handgun loaded with the special "ghost" rounds. Jo was determined to gank the ghost that dared to mess with her family.

Bursting into the door, Jo ran over to the corpse and set about salting and burning the cadaver. A burst of wind hit her back and without turning around, she drew her pistol and fired, once again dispersing the ghost. A flick of her wrist had a small flame coming from the lighter in which she wasted no time dropping onto the mess at her feet. She turned around just in time to see the figure of the ghost burst into flames.

"That's for hurting my dad," Jo spat, her eyes narrowed.

When she went back out to the hallway, Dean was still unconscious and Sam was hunched over him, trying to assess the situation, "I think he's got a concussion, but he'll be okay."

"Wonderful," Jo said without feeling.

Sam looked up and saw a change in Jo. She had changed from the innocent girl that had followed them on their hunt into a hardened, cold-blooded hunter. It was the same change he saw when he went on the hunt with the first Jo.

"Let's go," Jo breathed, her eyes growing weary.

Sam nodded and rose to help her grab their bags and Dean's limp body. Slowly they made their way back to the Impala, stashing the bags in the trunk and laying Dean's body in the backseat. The drive back to the hotel was silent.


	11. Another Failed Mission

**A/N: Alrighty, last chapter. Good luck guys, it's been fun. Tell me what you think.**

**I don't own Supernatural...**

Several months had passed and, much to Dean's disdain, Jo had become an integral part of the Winchester team. Together they had taken down ghosts, werewolves, vampires, and even a few demons. Jo turned out to be a ruthless hunter, picking up the slack whenever Sam or Dean was injured. Jo had a way with people too; she was often able to get the most stubborn witness to give vital information.

Given their recent track record, this coming hunt promised to be simple. They had tracked a low level demon to a nearby town, where it was wreaking havoc on the locals.

"Alright. Everyone know the plan?" Dean said, still trying to be in charge of the situation.

Sam rolled his eyes, "I'm going to the morgue to check out the corpses."

"I have to visit some witnesses at their homes," Jo said, determined.

"Right. Meanwhile I will check out the bar and see what the locals are saying," Dean finished, "And then we all meet up at the motel to review our notes."

At this the trio dispersed and headed towards their respective duties.

"Well, that knife wound definitely wasn't accidental."

"Yes. Tell me more about you friend."

"As much as I loved hearing about your gout, I've got to go."

The sun was just beginning to kiss the horizon when everyone returned to the motel. Sam and Dean looked disappointed but a smug smile was plastered on Jo's face, especially after hearing about her guardian's failure.

Dean paced around the room, "Status report. I'll start. I got absolutely squat. The longest conversation I could get was an old geezer describing his gout."

"Well I got a look at the body. It's definitely a demonic attack. Throats were slit but very little blood was found at the crime scene. Unfortunately, there were no special markings which might help us identify the demon we're after. Everything just sort of confirms what we already know," Sam explained.

Jo looked back and forth between the two men in front of her, "So you guys have nothing? Well good thing I found something, or else we'd be stuck. One of the guys I talked to has a friend that's been acting strangely. He said that a few weeks ago his friend stopped talking to him and quit his job. I asked him if he smelled sulfur and the guy said that his friend had smelled like that but he figured that it was just BO. Even better yet, the man told me that his friend had been sneaking out at night and going up to an old warehouse on the other side of town."

Dean leaned on a chair, "Alright, here's the plan."

Night had fallen by the time that the trio had gathered outside of the warehouse. Sam and Dean snuck around to the back while Jo walked confidently up to the large double doors. Dean had reluctantly agreed to let her be the distraction while they snuck around and caught the demon from the back.

As Jo opened the massive door, she allowed a look of panic to take over her face.

"Hello? Is anyone there? My car won't start and I need a jump," Jo called, her voice ringing in the silence.

Carefully she walked forward, her flats slapping against the hard concrete floor. She had wanted to wear heels but her dad thought that it was bad enough that she was the distraction; he would rather not have her fighting in heels.

Once more she cried out, "Please. Can anyone help me?"

Right on cue a well-dressed man stepped out of the shadows. He had a shocking mess of red hair stacked messily on his head. His suit was all black but his lapel held a single yellow rose.

"Hey sweetheart. What are you doing out so late at night? Don't you know that it's dangerous around these parts for pretty ladies such as you," the demon said, his voice as smooth as honey.

Like a jungle cat, he stalked towards her and held out his hand, "Come with me and we'll fix your car."

Lightly, Jo placed her hand in his, her body preparing for a fight. With a single blink the demons eyes turned black and he looked at Jo, "Didn't I tell you these were dangerous parts?"

Before the demon could take another breath, Jo had flipped him over her body and had him pinned against the floor, "What are you doing here?"

The demon laughed, "I'm just having a little fun."

Jo pulled on his arm, satisfied when she heard the loud crunch of his shoulder leaving his socket, "I won't ask again. What are you doing here?"

"Nothing. I just heard that there were some hunters in the area and I thought I'd play myself a little game," the demon gasped, "I know that your partners are around back."

Jo was horrified. "You didn't think I'd come alone, did you? Your buddies will die if you don't let me go."

Seconds later two large men roughly towed her caretakers in, guns pointed to each of their backs. Reluctantly Jo released the man but subtly flashed a wink at Sam and Dean. Taking the hint, the trio burst into action. An all-out brawl was afoot and the Winchester team fought like fury. Punches flew and before too long, all three demons were tied up on three separate, hastily drawn devil's traps.

"Not so tough now," Dean gloated, "Sam, go ahead."

"Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas…" Sam chanted while Dean looked over at Jo. She was rubbing her chest, her breathing labored.

Dean ran to her just as she fell to the ground, "Baby? What's wrong honey?"

Gasping Jo looked up at Dean, "I don't know daddy. But my chest, it hurts."

Helpless Dean looked over to Sam as he was shouting the last words of the exorcism, "Sam! Something's wrong with Jo. Call 911."

Dropping his things, Sam ran to Dean and Jo and felt her pulse, "I think she's having a heart attack."

"She can't be. She's only eighteen for God's sake," Dean shouted. He searched her face for some sign that Sam was wrong. He found nothing. Dean had tried to hold it back but now the tears were flowing steadily out of Dean's eyes. Sam dialed 911 with shaking fingers, "Hello? We have a girl here having a heart attack."

Dean wanted to scream at Sam, _She isn't just a girl, she's my girl. She's my daughter. From the moment I pulled her out of that fire, she became mine and I became hers._

Jo's eyes fluttered, "Daddy?"

"Yes baby?" Dean said, stroking her face.

"It hurts, daddy," she cried.

Dean was ripped in two as he saw the independent woman who he had raised from a child, refer to him as daddy, "I know baby, we're trying to help."

Gently she pawed at his shirt. "Tell me what you need Jo," Dean comforted.

"I love you, sir Daddy of Impala."

With those words, Jo took one final gasp and stilled. Dean hugged her still-warm body to his chest. What the hell had happened? One second she was taking out some demons and the next she was laying in his arms, dead.

In that moment, Dean stopped. He stopped crying, he stopped feeling, and he even stopped breathing for a moment. It was as if the world around him had gone into slow motion, Sam frantically stowing the bodies of the demons in a place where the police were unlikely to look.

Dean sat, as if in a trance, as the ambulance pulled up. Sam had to pull him away as the paramedics came in to work and eventually pronounced her dead. Dean hated the way that they handled her, as if she were a sack doll instead of the little girl that had run to him when she was woken with nightmares. Dean had suffered loss in his life but never before had it cut him this deep. This little girl was his child and now she lay dead at his feet.

Carefully Sam maneuvered Dean to the Impala, where they drove up the hospital and listened as doctors pronounced her heart attack caused by a congenital heart defect. Dean didn't even hear the doctor but this news brought Sam to his knees all over again. Not once had they ever taken Jo to a doctor. She hadn't ever been sick enough and with their meager earnings, they couldn't afford it. While Jo was Dean's child, she was also Sam's niece and she was as close to Sam as she was to Dean. Sam wanted to die knowing that her death could've been prevented with a simple checkup and possibly a small surgery.

Sam wanted to punch something but he abstained and looked over at Dean. All Dean wanted to do was leave. He didn't like staying in one place for too long. It made him feel claustrophobic; like he was trapped with no escape.

**A/N: For any interested readers, Jo died of aortic valve stenosis. I made sure to research the disease so that it sounded believable...**


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